Kasha

Three persons looking at a mobile phone's screen

In brief

Kasha is an e-commerce platform improving women’s access to genuine health, hygiene and self-care products in East Africa. The company sells menstrual care products, contraceptives, pharmaceuticals and a range of beauty products via its platform, accessible through basic phones and a website and delivered to customers confidentially. Kasha aims to be a trusted source of information, especially around stigmatised products and operates in close cooperation with selected health partners. Kasha was founded in 2015 in Rwanda and has since expanded to Kenya. The company has served over 600,000 customers, of whom 61% are women. With Finnfund’s investment, Kasha looks to grow its presence in current markets and expand to South and West Africa.

Main development impact

Kasha’s business case builds around serving the demand raising from underserved women clientele. Kasha increases access to (high stigma) health products and health information through an e-commerce platform for low-income women (75% BoP), especially in rural neighbourhoods. Kasha is also employing low-income women in rural communities as Kasha agents. Investment promotes gender equality by creating access to health-related products and employment and leadership opportunities for women. Kasha qualifies as 2X Gender investment through all the criteria: Founder: Two female founders, active in the company. Ownership: 23% female ownership currently. Leadership: 60% women in senior management; 40% women in the board. Employment: Kasha’s full-time staff: 43% of the workforce are women, and women have equal representation, also in terms of influence and decision-making roles. Quality indicator: flexible practice applied towards new mothers. Products/services: Kasha provides women with confidential access to SRH products. 70% of the Kasha clients are women.

Investment details

Name: Kasha
Project number: 80000225
Region: Africa
Country: Rwanda, Kenya
Sector: Other sector
Signing date (month/year): May 2022
Currency: USD
Finnfund's financing (commitment): 3,000,000
Instrument: Equity
Size of the project financing: USD 10,000,000
Share of Finnfund's financing (%): 33 %
Status: Active
Website: https://www.kasha.co/

Please note, that in principle, this information is given at the time of signature according to Finnfund's disclosure policy. However, in the case of investment funds, the share of Finnfund’s financing (%) is disclosed after the fund’s final closing, and information on the portfolio companies financed by the fund is updated at least once a year.

Other investments

Name Country Signing date (month/year) Currency Finnfund's financing (commitment) Instrument
Kasha Rwanda, Kenya October 2020 USD 1,000,000 Equity
May

Key facts

Name:

Kasha

Sector:

Other sector

Region:

Africa

Country:

Rwanda, Kenya

Currency:

USD

Finnfund's financing (commitment):

3,000,000

Signing date (month/year):

May 2022

Last update:

September 2024